THE KABBALAH OF TIME:
Kahane and Wainer explain that the calendar is the master key to unlock the hidden rationale behind the formal structure of ancient sacred texts, as well as to understand basic mystical concepts. When comprehended within the context of the Jewish calendar, these works reveal the spiritual energy of each week, serving as a practical guide for self-analysis and development.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Week 47 (contd.): Mashiach Ben Yosef and Learning in order to Teach

The quality
of this week is learns in order to teach(lomed al menat lelamed). Only by being
prepared to teach what we learned does that teaching really become alive. The Kabbalah
teaches that this is the difference between the Dead Sea (which receives water
but does not give), and the Sea of Galilee, which is full of life because it
receives but also gives to the Jordan river. In Chassidism, Torah is always
compared to water exactly for this reason, because it goes from a high place to
a low place.

Furthermore,
it is usually only when you are ready to teach that you come to realize whether
you’ve learned anything at all! Even before students ask questions and sharpen your
knowledge, the process of taking in information when you hope one day to teach
it is much more proactive.

This quality
is appropriate for Rosh Chodesh Elul
because Teshuvah is first and
foremost and example of self-evaluation and proactive learning (the latter to
be discussed more next week). As mentioned previously, in Elul is when “The King is in the field,” when Hashem leaves His castle, so to speak, and is out in the field
visiting His subjects. It is also time for us to go to the field and talk to
Him. In order to know what to say, and put into words the things about which we
need to confess, we need the quality of “learning in order to teach,” even if
in this case the only ones that need teaching is ourselves.

In his list
of the 48 prophets, Rashi states that
he does not know the 47th or the 48th. This is also where
states that if one does not consider Daniel to be a prophet one should then
include Shemayah. This appears to be inconsistent because how can Rashi “in the same breath” state that he
is missing two prophets from his list, yet mention in an extra prophet in the
case prophet number 38 should not be considered one. There appears to be more
to this than meets the eye, and this book humbly suggests that prophets 47 and
48 are none other than Mashiach Ben Yosef
and Mashiach Ben David. These
were prophets that were “unknown” to Rashi
in the sense that they had not yet come to the world.

Rabbeinu
Chananel states that the missing two prophets are Oded and Chanani, both of
which are mentioned along with the names of their children who are specifically
mentioned as prophets. The Vilna Gaon supports this view. What is interesting
about these two names is that they are very much connected with Mashiach Ben Yosef and Mashiach Ben David. Chananiah is one of
the names given for Mashiach (Ben David) in the Talmud. Oded comes
from the word “Od”, which means to
increase, similar to the name Yosef, whose name’s root also relats to adding. When Rachel named Yosef, she said, “YosephHashemben acher,” “May Hashem add for me another son.” The Yalkut Shimoni explains that ben acher also means “ben acharono shel olam,” one that will come at the end of time, the “meshu'ach milchamah,” “the anointed one [like Mashiach] of war,” a descendant of Yosef. There is also a well known verse in the Torah which states, “Od Yosef Chai” (Yosef is still alive). Yosef
also asks his brothers “HaOd Avi Chai?”-
Is my father still alive?

Mashiach Ben Yosef is also particularly connected to
the Perek Shirah animal of this week
mentioned in Book 1, the snake. The word for snake, nachash in Hebrew, has the same numerical value as the word Mashiach. Mashiach will come to the world to remove the impurities introduced
by the snake.

In addition, the snake appears to be specifically
linked to Mashiach ben Yosef. Yosef
had been thrown into an “empty pit without water,” which Rashi explains to mean that it had not water, but had snakes and
scorpions. Yosef was also able to withstand the seduction of Potiphar, sexual
sin being the prime example of the hot venom of the snake (compared to the cold
venom of the scorpion, discussed next week). He maintained his foundation, and
is therefore called Yosef HaTzadik.

Later, when Yosef was still pretending not to recognize his
brothers, he tells them, “Haloh Yedatem
Ki Nachesh Yenachesh Ish Asher Kamoni,” which is usually translated as
"Did you not know that a man like me performs divination?" This
sentence could also be understood as, "Did you not know that a man like me,
Mashiach, will be able to fight the power
of the snake?”We also see
that in the Torah, it is Yosef that has the power to fight Esau, who in
Kabbalah represents the embodiment of the supernal snake.

Mashiach Ben
Yosef also will be able to withstand
the temptations and the hot venom of those that stand in the way of G-d’s
revelation in this lowly world. The quality of Mashiach is also that of a teacher and the concept of lilmod al menat lelamed (learning in
order to teach). His teachings will be so lofty that he will even teach the Patriarchs,
yet he will also reach out to the simplest of Jews. (Hayom Yom for the 1st of Menachem Av) Mashiach Ben
Yosef will reveal the truth of G-d and rid the world of the lies of the
snake.

Rebbe Yisrael Taub and his son, Shaul Yedidya Elazer Taub, the First and Second Rebbes of Modzitz

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The date also marks the yahrzeit of emmissaries Gavriel Noach and Rivky Holzberg, who died "Al Kidush Hashem" (sanctifying G-d's Holy Name), as well as the Rebbe's miraculous recovery from a massive heart attack.

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Burial Place of the Mitteler Rebbe, Rabbi Dovber of Lubavitch

His yahrzeit (and birthday) is on Tuesday, the 9th of Kislev. The following day, the 10th of Kislev, is celebrated as the day of his personal redemption.